Insyte Weekly: OpenAI & Perplexity Eye Browser Space, Rwanda Secures Tourism Backing, Spotify Supports Young Artists, and more

Media & Entertainment

May 2025 brought mixed results for Xbox in the U.S. While console sales for Xbox Series X|S fell 30% year-over-year, Microsoft still had reason to celebrate. Gaming subscription revenue hit an all-time high of $600 million, with Xbox Game Pass likely playing a key role. Despite weaker hardware sales, Xbox dominated the U.S. game charts, claiming 4 of the top 5 best-selling games, including Elden Ring: Nightreign, DOOM: The Dark Ages, and Oblivion Remastered. As gaming shifts from hardware to services, Xbox’s publishing power may be its strongest asset moving forward.

Between 2010 and 2023, over 1,200 youth centres closed across the U.K., leaving many young artists without a safe space to grow creatively. Spotify, in partnership with Youth Music, is responding with the Open Doors Fund—a powerful initiative to fund and sustain youth music spaces. From London office workshops to curated playlists and campaigns, the project is amplifying youth voices and backing emerging talent. With 41% of grassroots projects now at risk, this campaign is more than support—it's a lifeline. Spotify has pledged to extend the fund into 2026 to ensure the beat doesn’t stop for the next generation.

Spotify has just upgraded its Android Auto app, bringing the popular Jam feature to your car screen for the first time. Drivers can now start a shared music session, and passengers can join in by scanning a QR code on the in-car display, contributing tracks to a live queue. While only Premium users can host, free users can join and add songs. The update also includes a revamped Downloads section for easier offline listening and a new floating Search button for quicker navigation. This move continues Spotify’s push to enhance in-car experiences, with full rollout on Google’s built-in vehicles coming soon.

Edtech

EdTech’s rise is transforming traditional education into smart classrooms that combine interactive tools like AI, VR, and simulations to better prepare students for the realities of modern work. These tech-enabled environments make learning more engaging, practical, and aligned with digital workplace demands. For working professionals, smart classrooms also offer flexible upskilling opportunities through virtual programs and micro-credentials. As global industries shift, smart classrooms are not just about education—they're strategic drivers of talent development, bridging the gap between theory and real-world practice. The future of learning is here—and it's smart.

Africa’s young population offers immense potential, but its education system is struggling to keep pace. A new BCG report reveals that 98 million children are out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, and 72 million youth are neither trained nor employed. EdTech could change this, with mobile-powered solutions already showing promise in remote areas. But growth is uneven: half of Africa’s EdTech startups are in just 3 countries, and most lack funding to scale. BCG outlines four solutions—policy reform, stronger funding, tailored product design, and more accelerators—to unlock a digital education revolution for the continent’s billion-plus future learners.

Fintech

Stablecoins now account for over 1.1% of the U.S. dollar supply, marking a major shift toward digital money. With a market cap of $258B, stablecoins like USDT (Tether) and USDC (Circle) are reshaping global finance, now ranking as the 20th largest holder of U.S. treasuries, ahead of countries like Germany. This growth fuels DeFi liquidity, cross-border payments, and fintech innovation. But rising influence brings scrutiny: regulators are pushing for greater transparency and oversight. As stablecoins mature from risky crypto assets to trusted digital tools, they could redefine how money moves globally—if trust, compliance, and utility continue to align.

AI

In a recent case of AI-enabled fraud, engineering firm Arup lost $25.5M when scammers used deepfakes to impersonate the CFO and colleagues on a video call. The employee approved 15 wire transfers—only to learn later that every face and voice on the call had been AI-generated. This incident highlights a shift in AI threats—from political disinfo to precision-targeted executive fraud. With deepfake scams up 1,740% in North America, experts stress the urgency of real-time detection systems, robust verification protocols, and staff training. As deepfakes erode trust in digital communication, there must be a sense of urgency to ensure the safety of users’ data and resources.

To ensure AI empowers, not replaces, teachers, OpenAI has partnered with the American Federation of Teachers to launch the National Academy for AI Instruction. The $10M initiative aims to equip 400,000 K-12 educators (1 in 10 teachers in the US) with hands-on AI training by 2030. With a flagship centre in NYC and future hubs nationwide, the Academy will offer free workshops, curriculum support, and access to OpenAI tools. The goal? To help teachers shape how AI is used in classrooms, enhancing critical thinking, supporting instruction, and closing equity gaps. Education’s future will be AI-assisted and teacher-led.

OpenAI is reportedly preparing to launch an AI-powered web browser, taking direct aim at Google Chrome’s dominance. The upcoming browser, built on Chromium, is designed to integrate ChatGPT-like capabilities into browsing, enabling users to complete tasks like bookings or form submissions via AI agents. If adopted by ChatGPT’s 500M+ weekly users, the browser could challenge Google’s control of ad data and web traffic. With Chrome powering most of Alphabet’s $200B+ ad empire, OpenAI’s move marks a bold expansion of its ecosystem. As AI weaves deeper into daily workflows, this browser could redefine how we experience the internet.

Perplexity AI has launched Comet, a powerful AI web browser designed to rival Google and Microsoft’s offerings. Available to $200/month Perplexity Max subscribers, Comet lets users interact via voice and text, integrating with tools like Slack for seamless enterprise functionality. The browser is rolling out via invite-only access this summer. Known for its AI search engine, Perplexity positions Comet as a tool to “amplify intelligence,” while continuing to address past plagiarism concerns with a revenue-sharing model. With backing talks valuing it at $14B and prior acquisition interest from Meta, Perplexity is pushing boldly into the AI browser race.

Tourism

As global tourism surges, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) warns that poor planning, underinvestment, and fragmented governance, not tourists alone, are driving overcrowding in top destinations. In its new report, Managing Destination Overcrowding: A Call to Action, WTTC outlines a six-step plan for smarter tourism management, including better data use, infrastructure investment, and resident inclusion. With travel projected to support 357 million jobs in 2024, this is a turning point. The message is clear: tourism growth must be managed, not stopped—or destinations risk economic loss, job cuts, and community backlash. It's time to reinvest tourism revenue into long-term resilience.

China has expanded its visa-free access to citizens from 74 countries, allowing up to 30 days of stay, in a strategic move to boost tourism, soft power, and economic growth. More than 20 million visitors entered visa-free in 2024, double the previous year. Popular with travellers and tour operators, the relaxed policy is already fueling a tourism rebound. However, major African nations remain excluded, and U.S. travellers are limited to 10-day transit entries. With tourism demand rising, operators like WildChina report 50% growth in bookings. If maintained, these policies could significantly reposition China on the global tourism map.

Rwanda has secured a $9 million grant from the Global Environment Facility, with World Bank support, to restore ecosystems and enhance climate resilience in the Nyungwe-Ruhango Corridor. Starting August 2025, the project will target Ruhango, Nyanza, and Nyamagabe districts. It aims to rehabilitate over 2,100 hectares of degraded land, introduce sustainable farming practices on nearly 9,000 hectares, and benefit 289,000+ people. With a focus on climate-smart land use, the initiative also plans to create 2,200 green jobs, promote non-timber forest products, and engage the private sector in long-term environmental stewardship.

Retail

Woolworths has launched a first-of-its-kind Food Emporium at The Village Square in Cape Town, setting a new benchmark for food retail in South Africa. Designed for modern convenience and customer experience, the store offers live cooking demos, on-site florists creating bespoke bouquets, and upgraded premium counters including a fishmonger with fresh oysters and a butcher offering wagyu and expert advice. CEO Sam Ngumeni describes the store as “an inspiring, seamless, and sustainable” shopping experience. The emporium signals Woolworths’ ambition to lead innovation in the local grocery sector with service-led, forward-thinking retail.

New survey data from The Feedback Group shows that Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X are turning away from traditional supermarkets in favour of discount retailers like Walmart and Aldi. Just 8% of Gen Z recently shopped at a supermarket, compared to 22% at both Walmart and Aldi. Supermarkets remain popular among Baby Boomers, with 28% naming them their most recent stop. The report also highlights a shift to digital circulars, with 52% of shoppers consulting them, up from 44% in 2023. While loyalty programs attract attention, only 12% check social media for deals, suggesting evolving engagement strategies are needed.

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